Kenny Chesney's No Shoes Nation tour is still a few weeks away but he's steeped in preparations to make it an unforgettable experience for concertgoers. On Feb. 13, the country superstar and his band begin tour rehearsals. "I used to say we're like a baseball team: six months on, six months off," Kenny says. "But the truth is, what we do to create what people see from a show this size out there on the road really does take a lot of work, a lot of thought and a lot of practice. And the great thing about my crew is, they get as much a charge seeing the fans respond to what goes into all this work as the band and I do when we're on stage." Expect a greater video presence at this year's shows, which kick off March 16 in Tampa Bay, Fla. Kenny's latest video, 'Pirate Flag,' made its premiere right here on The Boot. (Watch below.) His album, 'Life on a Rock,' will be out April 30. [GAC]

Grammy-nominated Hunter Hayes has joined the lineup for this summer's Country Thunder, set for July 18-21, in Twin Lakes, Wis. Previously-announced performers for the hugely popular outdoor festival include Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Little Big Town, Jake Owen and more. [Country Thunder]
Gloriana recently took fans behind the scenes for their performance at the AFC Championship game, and now they're opening up their tour rehearsal for a sneak peek. The trio is getting ready for their opening gig on Alan Jackson's upcoming tour and, according to the group's Rachel Reinert, "it's a whole new show with a ton of new songs." Watch the behind-the-scenes video here.

Tim McGraw, who showed his appreciation for the men and women of the U.S. military by teaming with Operation Homefront to provide mortgage-free homes for one military family during each stop of his 2012 tour, will appear on Monday's (Feb. 11) episode of 'Cake Boss' at 10:00 PM ET on TLC. "We've been doing some pretty cool things this summer," Tim told a New Jersey crowd during the episode. "Our veterans and our wounded warriors give so much to our country. They do so much for us." Also on the show, Tim introduces baker Buddy Valastro, who wheels out a giant cake in the shape of a pickup truck, with a sweet two-story home in the truck bed. "This is not just a cake," Tim explains to Marine Chris Chaput and his wife, Roseanna. "This represents a real house that you guys are going to get." [US Weekly]

Vince Gill will perform at the 12th annual LaunchAbility fundraising event, which takes place April 2 at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, Texas. LaunchAbility is a non-profit organization that helps children and adults with developmental disabilities. [Vincegill.com]

Zac Brown Band will try for a third career Grammy win this Sunday, as their stellar Uncaged is up for Best Country Album. For frontman Zac, the Grammys carry a little more weight than all of the other shows the band goes to every year. "There's so many other award shows where everything's so political. Unless you're from Nashville, unless you're in the circle with everybody, you're not going to win all of those," the Georgia native laments. "Although they'll get you to come play and hang out. Which is fine with us." [US 99.5]